Coefficient

How to spell coefficient

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce coefficient

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does coefficient mean?

1. nounA numerical or constant factor that multiplies a variable in an algebraic expression.
2. nounA constant value expressing the ratio between two physical quantities under set conditions.

Coefficient in a sentence

• In the term three x, the number three is the coefficient.

• The coefficient of friction between rubber and dry asphalt is relatively high.

• The students learned to identify the coefficient of each variable before solving.

• Engineers measured the thermal expansion coefficient of the steel beam.

Where does coefficient come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This is a learned mathematical coinage rather than an ancient word. It was assembled in the late 1500s from Latin elements: the prefix co- meaning 'together' was joined to efficient, which traces back to the Latin verb efficere, 'to bring about' or 'to accomplish', itself built from ex- 'out' and facere 'to make or do'. The Latin form coefficiens was popularised by the French mathematician Francois Viete, and the idea was that such a number works 'together with' a variable to produce a result. English adopted it in the early 1700s as algebra matured, and it later spread into physics and chemistry for fixed ratios such as the coefficient of friction. The spelling trap lives in the middle: the double f and the soft 'sh' sound spelled -ci-, both inherited directly from facere, which is the same root hiding inside 'effect', 'efficient' and 'factory'.

How the word is built

• co- (together, jointly)
• ef- (out, from Latin ex-)
• fic (from facere: to make, do)
• -ient (noun/adjective suffix)